The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) Exemplar Awards honored members of the corporate counsel or private law firm communities who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, vision, dedication and achievement in promoting and supporting equal justice. Each Exemplar honoree has made invaluable commitments and contributions to pro bono and public service, and supports NLADA’s work to provide equal access to justice for all. Also presented were the Kutak-Dodds Prizes and Beacon of Justice Awards.
Exemplar Awards
The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) Exemplar Award annually honors members of the corporate counsel or private law firm communities who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, vision, dedication and achievement in promoting and supporting equal justice. Each Exemplar honoree has made invaluable commitments and contributions to pro bono and public service and supported NLADA’s work to provide equal access to justice for all. Meet our 2023 Exemplar Award Honorees.
To view remarks from this year’s Exemplar Honorees- Margaret Egan, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, click HERE and to view remarks from Nadine Jones, Senior Vice President and General Counsel with Kuehne + Nagel, Inc, click HERE.
Kutak-Dodds Prizes
Each year NLADA and the Robert J. Kutak Foundation jointly award the Kutak-Dodds Prizes to honor the accomplishments of one civil legal aid attorney and one public defender. These attorneys, through the practice of law, are reinforcing the principle and reality of justice for all under the law. Each prize carries a cash award of $10,000. The winners were recognized on June 8th at NLADA’s annual Exemplar Awards Gala in Washington, DC. Meet our 2023 Kutak-Dodds Prize Honorees.
To watch the 2023 Kutak-Dodds Presentation click HERE and you can also watch the short videos for this year’s Kutak-Dodds Prize winners Mary Day with Southern Arizona Legal Aid, Inc and Amrutha Jindal with Operation Lone Star.
Beacon of Justice Awards
NLADA’s Beacon of Justice Awards honor members of the pro bono legal community who are tireless advocates for equal justice and the 2023 Beacon of Justice Awards featured law firms who are addressing issues related to LGBTQ+ rights and/or gender-based equity issues that intersect with racial equity. Learn about the 2023 Beacon of Justice Award Honorees. To watch videos from this year’s 2023 Beacon of Justice winners click HERE.
Click HERE to view the 2023 Beacon of Justice digital book.
Sponsorships
Thank you to our generous 2023 Exemplar Awards supporters! Click here for a full list of those who help make this event possible.
Social Justice Art Auction
A highlight of our Exemplar Awards Gala each year was our Social Justice Art Auction. All pieces were generously donated by artists from around the country, many of whom are local to DC, alongside artwork from incarcerated artists. Funds raised from the auction directly support NLADA’s mission of expanding access to counsel and safeguarding justice for all. In its 5th year, the auction featured 30 pieces of artwork ranging from pastels, to oil paints, prints, and even some beautiful pottery.
Donate Exemplar Award Beacon of Justice Award Kutak-Dodds Prizes Sponsors
